The present invention relates to a gaming system and a method of gaming, and particularly, but not exclusively, to a gaming system and method of gaming which is applicable to wheel games.
Gaming is implemented by many types of gaming systems providing many different types of games.
These include “wheel” games, such as traditional casino type roulette. Wheel games typically involve a wheel divided into equal segments, usually being associated with indicia. To play a game, the wheel is spun and the outcome is determined by a pointer which selects indicia when the wheel has stopped. In the case of roulette, for example, the pointer is a ball which rolls into one of the segments as the roulette wheel comes to a halt.
Wheel games may be implemented by mechanical systems (such as the conventional roulette wheel) and they may also be simulated electronically, for example by an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM).
To play a wheel game, players may place bets on a player predicted outcome from a spin of the wheel. If the player predicted outcome matches the game outcome, the player may win the bet. For example, the player predicted outcome may be a particular indicium which the player may have predicted the wheel will stop at. If the wheel stops at that indicium then the player wins the bet.
Conventionally, players may place player predicted outcomes with a banker or croupier. It is also known to provide electronic player input terminals for players to input player predicted outcomes for wheel games, and also input bets. It is known, for example, to play roulette as an electronic table game which includes a roulette wheel which may be automatically spun and a plurality of player input terminals for inputting player predicted outcomes and bets.
It is also known to provide a gaming system which comprises a game controller arranged to randomly display several symbols from a predetermined set of symbols and to determine a game outcome such as a game win based on the displayed symbols. Such gaming systems may commonly be implemented as a stepper machine provided with reels with each reel carrying several symbols of the set, or a video machine wherein selected symbols are displayed on virtual reels on a graphical display device. Win outcomes can occur based on symbols appearing in one or more horizontal lines, diagonal lines, or in any other predetermined way.
In wheel games, each game is usually played by a single spin of the wheel. In wheel games such as roulette or chocolate wheels, which are played with a single wheel, the odds against winning are generally quite low (because with a single wheel there are only generally a limited number of segments that can be provided—only 38 in roulette, for example). Where the odds against winning are not that great, there is a reluctance on the part of the game administrator (casino, for example) to provide incentives to play, such as large jackpots. Also there is little variety to retain player interest.